A Brother's Love

Kidnapped

Voices were heard in the background yet I couldn’t concentrate on them. My body felt sluggish, I tried to move but was restraint. Opening my eyes I panicked when my vision was blurry. I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to focus. A chuckle met my ears, it sounded closer than the voices I heard before. I inhaled sharply through my nose when I felt someone grab my chin and tilt my head back. My eyes landed on the man standing right before me.

Easton Dehn

I tried to scream but my voice was muffled. As I glanced down I realized I was tied to a chair and the muffled voice indicated my mouth was taped. Then the situation became clear to me. This man before me kidnapped me. He f*****g kidnapped me. I tried to fight against my restraints but it hurt, the rope biting into the skin of my arms. It made me scream but my scream was never heard. Easton took joy out of it, laughing at me quietly.

“Maybe I was wrong about you, Poppy.” He let go of my chin and shoved his hands in the pockets of his fancy slacks, “You’re a fighter, aren’t you?” He asked. His blue eyes gleamed playfully in the dim lighting of the room.

I glanced around, trying to figure out my location. I didn’t recognize it though. It looked like we were in some sort of garage or maybe a warehouse. What the f**k was he going to do with me? If he wanted payback for the punch in the face, this was a little too much.

“I’m rarely impressed, you know.” He continued, standing before me with a smug look on his face, “But you see, I can’t a little girl like you disrespect me like that in my own office.” He stepped to me, brushing his fingers through my messy blonde locks, “I’ve been thinking about your options. What to do with you?” He reached for the tape around my mouth and ripped it off, my scream finally echoing through the room, “You’ve made your mind up about Alex, haven’t you?” He asked me.

“Why would I want to date a coward like that?!” I spat at him, “Your brother doesn’t have a backbone so yeah, I’ll walk away but not for his sake but my own.”

His lips curled up to a smirk, "Your anger makes you such a bold girl." He chuckled, "You're right, you know." His voice quieted down, while all humor left his deep blue eyes, "My brother has no backbone. So I have to steer him in the right direction if I don't do that he'll get himself killed."

I glared at him, having enough of this ridiculous scene before me. I had no idea what he was thinking but he was taking this little game way too far. I heard of people hiring method actors to play around with their friends. Easton had money so he could hire the best of the best, but this was insane. I wouldn’t stand for it.

“Let me go now!” I demanded of him, “If not, I’ll go to the police, Easton. You already don’t have a good reputation, you want to see what will happen when people find out you have weird hobbies outside the office?”

He tilted his head to the side, “You think this is a joke?” He asked.

I pulled against my restraints again, a pained scream leaving my lips, “You’re taking it way too far.”

He glanced aside and nodded at one of the masked men who had taken me. My eyes widened when the masked man stepped to me and pointed a gun to my head, pulling back to safety, the sound echoing through the room.

“Does this still look like a joke to you?” He asked me.

Fear consumed me. I trailed my eyes to Easton, pleading with my eyes for my life. The words wouldn’t leave me because I was completely frozen in my chair. He seemed to notice. He tapped the gun down with two of his fingers and closed in on me. His fingers tightened in my hair, the pain making me whimper while he made sure I looked him in the eyes.

“I’ll let that little incident go if you are serious about being done with Alex?”

If I wasn't serious about his brother before I sure as hell was now. The rumors about this family were true, they were f*****g bad news. I always knew there was something wrong with Easton the way he behaved but Alex, he was so awkward most of the time. No one would ever assume he was part of this f****d up business his brother had going.

“I asked you a question, Poppy.” Easton sounded impatient.

“I am done with him!”

“Good.” He let me go and stepped back, “Then my men will take you home. If you think about running to the police they will take care of you.” He promised me, “Goodbye, Poppy Miller.”

I watched him turn on his heels and leave. Like he mentioned I was brought home by his men, they weren't exactly gentle but I was just glad to be alive. I didn't want to think about them hovering to make sure I wouldn't run to the police. On auto-pilot I got undressed and jumped into the shower, wanting to wash away the day. When I was safely under the warm rays of the showerhead I let my tears run freely down my cheeks. This was not okay, that family was f****d up. I couldn't even be heartbroken over Alex because now I had to be glad I wouldn't be part of his criminal family. I leaned my palms against the cold tiles on the wall before me and noticed the red marks on my arms. They looked angry, I didn’t want to touch the skin, knowing it would hurt. Washing my hair I stepped out of the shower and wrapped my towel around my body. I moved to the mirror above my sink and stared at the wide-eyed girl who was supposed to be me. I didn't recognize her and Easton was the one who did this to me. If I didn't do anything stupid I'd get to live. All I had to do was live a quiet life and move on from Alex. I'd be okay then. Telling myself over and over again to let this go I got ready for bed. My hair was still wet and my stomach grumbled when I crawled into bed, wearing a worn-out grey sweater while my hair was tied up in a bun. I pulled the sheets tightly around me and curled up to a ball. I'd survive, I'd pretend it never happened.